Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-11-24
MuMM,Es IN MEXICO.

MUMMIES IN MEXICO.
Perfect Arts Of Preserving the Dead
| Frsctieed Centuries Ago.
Even among the Northern Indians
mumifying was frequently resorted to
for people of distinction. Beverly,
who wrote in 1922. says in his Ellis
tory of Virgins" with great squander-
ing of capitals: The Indians are re-
ligious in preserving the Corpses of
their Kings and Rulers after Death.
which they order in the following man
ner: First, they neatly fay off the
Skin as entirely as they can. Sitting it
only in the back; then they pick all
the flesh off the Bones as clean as pos
sible. leaving the sinews fastened to
the Bones. that they may preserve the
Joints together; then they dry the
/! Bones in the sun and put them into
the skin again. which in the meantime
has kept from drying or shrinking;
when the bones are placed right
in the Skin. they merely fill up
the Vacuities with very fine white
sand. After this they sew up the skin
again and the Body looks as if the
Flesh had never been removed. They
take care to keep the skin from shrink
ing by the use of little Oil or Grease.
which saves it also from corruption.
The Skin being thus prepared. they
lay it in an apartment for that pur.
pose upon shelf raised from the Floor.
This Shelf is spread with Mats for the
Corpse to rest easy on, and screened
with the same to keep it from the
Dust. The Flesh they lay upon hurdles
/ in the sun to dry. and when it is thor
onghly dried, it is sewed up in a
Basket and set ut the foot of the Corpse
to which it belongs. III this Place they
also set up Cuioceas (idoD. which
they believe will be guard to the
corpse. Here. Night or Day. one or
the other of the Priests must give his
attendance to take care of the DM.d
Bodies. So great an honor and venera-
ton have these unpublished People for
their Princes, even after they are
dead"
A still older writer improves upon
this North American Indian recipe for
making mummies in the quaint phrase
ology of his times. Says he: "Their
bodies are first boweled then dried till
very dry, and so about most of their
joynts and necks they hang bracelets
or chains of copper and such Ike. as
they use to wear. Their inwards they
stuff with beads and such trash. They
then lappe them very carefully in
white skins, and so rowle them in mats
for their winding sheets. And in the
Tombe, which is an arch made of mats,
they lay them orderly. What remain
eth of this kind of wealth their Kings
have. they set at their feet in baskets.
The burials ended, the women having
painted all their faces with BLACK cole
and oyle,' doe sit twenty-four hours in
their houses, mourning and lamenting
by turns with such yelling and howl
ing as may express their great pas
siOns."
In Alaska, up to comparatively mod
ern times. tie dead have been mummi-
fed. W. H. Dali, in his recent works
on 1.-The Northwest Coast" tells us
that within the last half century bodies
have been eviscerated, cleansed from
fatty matters in running water. dried
and placed in cases. wrapped in fur
and woven grasses. The body was
usually doubled up into the smallest
compass and the mummy case sus-
pended, SO as not to touch the ground,
in some convenient rock shelter.
Sometimes, however, the prepared
body was placed in life-like position.
dressed and armed Some were ma lie
to look rs if engaged in congenial
occupation. such as hunting, fishing.
sewing, etc. With them was also |
placed cffigies of the animals they were
pursuing, while the hunter was deckcd
in his wooden armor and provided with
an enormus mask. all ornamented with |
feathers and countless variety of |
wooden pendants cOlOred in gay pat
terms. All the Alaska mummies wear
masks. SO arranged that the wearer. if
erect. could only see the ground at his
feet. These were also worn at their
religious dances, from the belief that
the spirit which was supposed to ami
mate temporary idol was fatal to
whoever might look upon it while so
occupied.-Mexico Cor. Troy IN ~
Times.